Ecovillage Social Enterprises/Cottage Industries — Why We Need Them! Sat., March 17, 2018: veggie potluck at 6:30; slideshow/talk at 7:30pm with Diana Leafe Christian at L.A. Eco-Village

In Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Los Angeles Eco-Village

Diana Leafe Christian through a lively presentation and slide show, will show how large, well-established communities have established healthy community economies through supporting individual members’ cottage industries — “social enterprises” — and by encouraging their members to earn, spend, invest, and, when possible, even save money onsite, and how smaller and newer communities can do the same. Inspiring success stories as well as cautionary tales from ecovillages worldwide, including Crystal Waters in Australia, the Farm in Tennessee, Dancing Rabbit in Missouri, EcoVillage at Ithaca in New York, Findhorn in Scotland, Earthaven in North Carolina, and of course our own Los Angeles Eco-Village.

EVENT DETAILS:

DATE & TIME:
Saturday, March 17, 2018
Veggie Potluck at 6:30pm*
Talk begins at 7:30pm
* please bring your own non throw-away eating ware to make this a zero waste event

LOCATION
Los Angeles Eco-Village
117 Bimini Place – Lobby or Community Room
Los Angeles 90004

FEE:
$5 to $15 sliding scale

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED:
mailto:crsp@igc.org
or 213-738-1254

About Diana

Author, former editor of Communities magazine, and nationwide speaker and workshop presenter on starting new ecovillages, on building communities, and on sustainability, Diana lives in an off-grid homestead at Earthaven Ecovillage in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, She has said that living in an intentional community “is the longest, most expensive, personal growth workshop you will ever have.

She’s authored two books designed to help people who want to join or start their own ecovillages or other intentional communities,

In her book Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools for Growing Ecovillages and Intentional Communities, she uses success stories, cautionary tales, and step-by-step advice to cover typical time-frames and costs; the role of founders; getting started as a group; vision documents; power, governance, and decision-making; legal structures; finding and financing land; zoning issues; sustainable site plans; selecting new members; and good process and communication skills for dealing well with conflict.

In Finding Community: How to Join an Ecovillage or Intentional Community, she covers researching, visiting, evaluating, and joining communities.

More about Diana and her wide reaching influence on the intentional communities movement here

California Co-op Conference – San Diego – April 29-30, 2018

Click here for the Conference Brochure PDF

The conference will be held at theMarina Village Conference Center,
1936 Quivira Way, San Diego, which offers a beautiful view of the bay, and the convenience of a location near San Diego airport.

Conference workshops reveal how cooperatives revitalize and fortify local economies by creating jobs, housing, and locally owned businesses!

Pre-Conference: Saturday, April 28th: A full day intensive training on Sociocracy.

Keynote, Monday, 4/30: Building a Better World: The Case for a Cooperative Economy, Vernon Oakes

Start Your Registration Here!

Conference sponsor: California Center for Cooperative Development: www.cccd.coop
in association with co-sponsors:
U.S. Dept of Agriculture Rural Development
Cooperative Center Federal Credit Union
Pachamama Coffee Cooperative
North Island Credit Union
Tuttle Law Group
Alvarado St. Bakery
North Coast Co-op
Briar Patch Food Co-op
Shared Capital Cooperative
Food Co-op Initiative
Davis Food Co-op
Sun Anza
National Cooperative Bank
Capital Impact Partners
Sacramento Natural Food Co-op
University Cooperative Housing Association
Sustainable Economies Law Center

If you would like to become a conference sponsor please follow this link for more information.

California Center for Cooperative Development (CCCD) is a non-profit and depends on people like you for support. CCCD members receive a discount on conference fees. CCCD is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Please click here to become a member of CCCD. Your membership contribution is considered a tax deductible donation.

Global Ecovillage Conference (GEN) Europe Conference – July 10 – 14, 2018 – Lilleoru, Estonia

Conference theme: The Wisdom of Conscious Communities”

Including July 10, 2018: Co-Creation Day: How can we make Estonia the first organic country in the world.

The conference will bring together 500 sustainable experts, practitioners and visionaries from all over the world.

Go here for conference details:
http://gen2018.ee/?lang=en&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=genestonia100

For more information on the Global Ecovillage Network, go here

If you live in the Los Angeles area and are planning to go to this conference, please let me know:
Lois – 213/738-1254

Public Meeting Sat., Nov 11, 2017 from 10am to noon at 117 Bimini Pl, LA 90004

This Public Meeting is Regarding Contaminants and Proposed Remediation

Concerning the property at:

3554 and 3560 West First Street – Los Angeles 90004

Previously known as Song’s Auto Shop
and the Teriyaki House

This meeting is a component of a proposal being prepared by the nonprofit property owner, CRSP, in the Los Angeles Eco-Village, for a US-Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) Brownfields Clean-Up grant. A draft copy of the CRSP proposal will be available as noted below by November 10, 2017. Your comments will be incorporated into the final grant proposal to the US-EPA and should be received by CRSP no later than November 14, 2017

A summary of the US-EPA’s “Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA)” and the alternatives for remediation of contaminants can be viewed on-line below. The complete 43 page ABCA report can be viewed in hard copy at 117 Bimini Place, Lobby, Los Angeles 90004 or you can access it here.

Public comments can be mailed to:
CRSP
117 Bimini Pl, #221
Los Angeles CA 90004
Or sent via email to: crsp@igc.org
Or submitted in person at the November 11^th meeting.

A Plan for redeveloping the property includes car-free co-op oriented mixed uses, including an environmentally sensitive hostel, small green businesses operated by neighbors within the Los Angeles Eco-Village on Bimini and White House Place or within easy walking distance. CRSP will also be continuing its co-op training and education programs on the site, including workshops on phytotechnologies for remediating brownfields.

See additional information or keep updated at http://laecovillage.org/home/news/
or contact: crsp@igc.org 213-738-1254

Executive Summary for Analysis of
Brownfield Remediation Alternatives (ABCA) at
3554 and 3560 West First Street
Los Angeles 90004

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In 2017, Weston Solutions, Inc. (WESTON®), performed a Phase II Targeted Brownfields Assessment (Phase II TBA) at 3554 and 3560 West 1st Street, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California (the Site). The TBA was requested by the property owner (applicant), CRSP, and performed under contract with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The purpose of the TBA was to characterize conditions at the Site, because it is being considered for redevelopment.

Contaminants, including toxic heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons, were detected in surface soils and or soil gas
analyzed as part of the TBA work. This Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) report identifies and compares different cleanup scenarios for the Site based on results obtained from the Phase II TBA (WESTON 2017). These scenarios are ranked on effectiveness, implementability, and cost.

The proposed redevelopment of this site will include an ecologically sensitive hostel with environmentally and co-op oriented mixed retail uses or services. Based on that proposed use, cleanup of the Site to standards suitable for a commercial-industrial use exposure scenario is recommended before planned re-use/redevelopment can begin.

The Site is composed of an approximately 0.25 acre parcel located in a mixed commercial-residential-institutional neighborhood approximately 3 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The western portion of the Site contains a single-story approximately 600 square foot commercial building formerly used as a restaurant. The eastern portion contains a one-story commercial structure, with a small second floor loft, approximately 2,600 square feet, formerly used as an automotive repair shop.

The following concerns were identified during the Phase II TBA:

Cadmium was present at concentrations that exceed the specified human health screening levels for a commercial use exposure scenario in two surface soil samples collected from the southern portion of the Site.

Four semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) were present at concentrations that exceed the human health screening levels in a surface soil sample collected from the southwest portion of the Site.

Total petroleum hydrocarbons as diesel (TPH-d) were present at concentrations that exceed the residential human health screening levels, but are below the commercial/industrial screening levels in southwestern portion of the Site, in the same surface soil sample as the SVOCs.

The building materials and some appurtenances (i.e., fluorescent lights and possibly other electrical equipment) in both buildings contain non-friable asbestos-containing material (ACM), lead based paint (LBP), and/or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

Ethylbenzene and chloroform are present in sub-slab soil gas above the human health screening levels for a residential exposure scenario in the former auto repair shop.

To continue reading the US-EPA ABCA, go here.

NOTE FROM CRSP REGARDING PHYTOREMEDIATION: Although the US-EPA did not include any alternatives on phytoremediation or phytotechnology for rendering soil contaminants harmless to human health in the ABCA, there is additional information on the successful use of various plants, trees, and microorganisms for brownfield soil remediation. Please learn about them on line at the Center for Creative Land Recycling: http://mailchi.mp/cclr/webinars-07-31-17
or at this website for the International Journal on Phytoremediation“. It is CRSP’s intent to apply the current US-EPA grant application for the remediation of hazardous materials within the buildings, and to develop a future remediation plan for the soils beneath the currently paved surfaces outside the buildings.

CicLAvia: Sunday, October 8, 2017 from 9am to 4pm Heart of LA

CicLAvia returns to the Heart of LA with an exciting and fun 6-mile route featuring the neighborhoods of Echo Park, Chinatown, Historic Downtown, Civic Center, Little Tokyo, Arts District, and Boyle Heights.

Lots of family-friendly activities are planned along the route.

We will be kicking off CicLAvia Sunday with a press conference at 8:30am at the Broadway HUB (Broadway and 7^th St.). Come by to start your day.

CicLAvia is a nonprofit organization, and we couldn’t do what we do without your support. Let’s keep CicLAvia rolling by making a donation today.

See you this Sunday, Oct. 8th at CicLAvia: Heart of LA!

Romel Pascual, CicLAvia Executive Director
http://www.ciclavia.org/

Third Annual West Coast Communities Conference – September 29 – October 1, 2017 in Escondido CA

Conference Theme: Thriving, Not Just Surviving – Fiscal Health in Community

Featuring Keynote Speaker: Diana Leafe Christian, author of Creating a Life Together

Taking off from last year’s theme of economic justice, we are organizing this year’s topics around the subject of equitable and sustainable income and affordability. We have workshops…

Workshop topics and speakers include:
– Financially feasible ways to start Community and ongoing affordability
– Organizing for affordability in less able neighborhoods
– Intentional Business (IB): Kinds of businesses that may be suitable with Intentional Community
– A look at Worker Cooperatives (Collectives)
– Fairness of equitable effort: Everyone pulling their own weight while respecting those less able
– Balancing Intra (local) Economy and Extra (global) Economy
– Alternative Trade Systems: LETS, TimeBank, HourWorld, etc.
– Sources of Funding

The event will be held near Escondido, CA, off Highway 15 between Los Angeles and San Diego.

Click here for Reservations

Community founders and other experts in cohousing and other kinds of intentional communities in California will share what works well, especially in community financial and economic health.

Diana Leafe Christian’s keynote address will be on “Recipe for a Thriving Community: Establishing an Internal Economy with Social Enterprises, Community Labor Systems, and More.”

Workshop presenters include Lois Arkin, founder of Los Angeles Eco-Village and longtime ecovillage activist; FIC Executive Director and longtime Twin Oaks Community member Sky Blue; cohousing activists Raines Cohen and Betsy Morris; and Jonah Mesritz, superstar expert on finding and financing community property and cofounder of Emerald Village Ecovillage.

Panel discussions of experts on healthy communities, and on community financing, and Diana Leafe Christian’s breakout workshop on Sociocracy for cohousing and other kinds of intentional communities.

Call for Volunteers: Help make this year’s event even better. There are several roles we can use help with. People are needed for registration, volunteer coordination, website administration, among others. Those who would like to get involved or for more information, please contact:

Contact Us: Conference Email; Conference FaceBook Page; South-West Intentional Community Alliance (SWICA) website; SWICA Email

More information: http://wccc.kondoria.x10.mx/wp/about/
To register:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/west-coast-communities-conference-2017-tickets-34258474018

Organized by SWICA – South West IC Alliance,
Co-sponsors:
Fellowship for Intentional Community
Cohousing California
Terra Madre Gardens
Sustainable Living Institute

Event organizers:
Werner Kontara (949) 551-2800
Steve Fuji, SWICA Committee Head – (505) 715-1418

12th Annual Permaculture Convergence – Oct.. 5 – 8, 2017 in Hopland CA

more info: http://www.permacultureconvergence.com

Sustainable Living Tour – California – October 1 – 12, 2017

Immerse yourself in leading sustainable living education centers showcasing real examples of soil, watershed and human relationship restoration.

Lots More info: http://earthjourneys.org/

Embark on this journey to..

- Gain a deep understanding of how to thrive in community.
- Be inspired by real examples of soil, water and habitat restoration.
- Reconnect with your intrinsic gifts to use them for good.
- Uplevel your hard skills through hands on workshops.
- Tend meaningful relationships for personal growth, collaboration and fulfillment.
- Create life-long friendships with fellow passionate changemakers.
- Find clarity to what role you play in the world.
- Embody your interconnection with all living beings.
- Leave with an action plan for your calling or project.
- Participate in on-going support for 1-year after the tour.

Hands-On Experiences and Learning at:

CalEarth http://www.calearth.org/
Quail Spring: http://www.calearth.org/
Emerald Ecovillage http://www.calearth.org/
LA Eco-Village http://laecovillage.org/
Wild Willow Farm & Educational Center http://www.sandiegoroots.org/farm/index.php
East End Eden http://www.sandiegoroots.org/farm/index.php
The Ecology Center https://www.theecologycenter.org/

Let’s Do This!

Transition US National Gathering: July 27-30, 2017 – Macalester College, St. Paul, MN

View this in your browser for more details

“Growing a Movement for Resilient Communities: Broadening, Deepening, and Scaling Up”

Transition members and community resilience builders from across the country are invited to gather in St. Paul, Minnesota, this July to make connections, share knowledge, and generate strategies to bring the Transition vision of resilient, local, connected and fossil-fuel-free communities to life across this nation. With a team of Transition organizers from across the country, and over 50 knowledgeable, dynamic and diverse presenters, this event promises to be inspiring, informative and fun! See below for more information on programming, housing, childcare, and more.